Words originally for Outline Magazine
Release Date: August 28th, 2015
Label: Transgressive
I’ve never been a fan of Oxford quintet Foals’ brash style
of rock so I was surprised to find myself hooked on their comeback single What Went Down last month. Safe to say
the album lives up to the hype of its phenomenal title track, simultaneously throwing
up a whole range of surprises from its arsenal of alt-pop ballistics. Mountain at My Gates and Birch Tree are calm openers, similar to
2010’s Total Life Forever but exchanging
keyboards and synths for guitars that, despite sounding dangerously Coldplay B-side-y,
fit in comfortably. The dramatic Albatross
raises the tempo like a call to arms for live music fans; no doubt one hell
of a show will come from this album. Snake
Oil is angsty and confrontational – somewhere between the Black Keys and
Drenge – whilst the chirpy Night Swimmers
dances on the fine line between timeless indie anthem and Radio 1 A-list wannabe.
London Thunder is a pensive
reflection beautifully crafted in Yannis Philippakis’ introspective lyrics, “Lost
my mind in San Francisco / A worn out disco, my temper’s cool”. The penultimate
Lonely Hunter is cool and refreshing
with its fleeting melody and jangly percussion, leading effortlessly into the
album’s epic closer A Knife in the Ocean,
7 minutes of crashing cymbals and twinkling synthesizers, closing a dramatic
record with powerful finesse. What Went
Down may not be what Foals dedicatees have been expecting but it’s a bold
step forward for a band quickly claiming their rightful spot in this
generation’s musical landscape.
9/10
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